Asia House Film Festival: Mongolian Treasures

Mongolian Treasures
A rare and revealing showcase of both old and new films from Mongolia.

14:30 Yellow Colt
Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig (Mongolia/South Korea) 91 Minutes

Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig’s touching debut feature tells the tale of Galt, an eight-year-old boy who, following the death of the uncle who adopted him, is taken back into his family home of nomads who make their living raising horses. Here, on the Mongolian plains far from where he was raised, he must rekindle his relationship with his estranged father, Badam.

One day a yellow colt appears in the family’s herd, whose mother had been sold without Badam realising she was pregnant. A strong affinity arises between Galt and this fellow returnee. With his father believing the colt belongs to another herder, Galt and his brother begin secretly training it for the annual Naadam horse-racing festival with advice from an older member of the community. In the process Galt discovers a new sense of kinship and connection with his homeland. Yellow Colt is a heart-warming film that will appeal to all ages, boasting some stunning landscapes and giving an evocative portrait of a timeless way of life.

16:30 Remote Control / Alsin udirdlaga
Byamba Sakhya (Mongolia / Germany / USA, 2013)

Raised in a loveless and impoverished home, Tsog supports his family by reselling his neighbour’s milk in the city, while frequently retreating from reality into the vivid world inside his head. After a senseless family row, he runs away and sets up home on the rooftop of a city apartment block, where he becomes obsessed with Anu, a young woman who seldom leaves her an apartment in the opposite building.

Tsog’s imagination begins to work overtime as he conjures up fantasy scenarios in which his fate is intertwined with that of this mysterious woman. After stealing a remote control that allows him to operate Anu’s television from his rooftop hiding place, he becomes enthralled with his new sense of power, until one day he notices a new man has entered her life. A gripping tale of obsession from the director of Passion unfolding in the contemporary cityscapes of Ulaanbataar.

18:30 UK Premiere
Before Rising Up the Rank / Zereg Nehemiin Omno
Lodongiin Tudev (Mongolia, 1965)

The UK premiere of this vintage classic from Mongolia’s national film studios Mongol Kino, Before Rising Up the Rank, can be described as a ‘Silk Road movie’. Set in the early 1900s, its quixotic trio of travellers, consisting of the Shaman Prince, the circus performer Boroldoi and tall and thin Doldoi, journey across a barren wilderness to the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan in Ulaanbataar to sell fabrics, overcoming a series of colourful comic escapades, encounters and adversities en route.

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Asia House is thrilled to announce the full programme of its seventh annual Asia House Film Festival which will take place from 27 March to 31 March 2015, generously supported once again by Prudential plc. This year’s theme of New Generations reflects on new talents, new styles, new landscapes and new modes of film production from and about the Asia Pacific region – from Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesian, India, Japan and Uzbekistan, with a special focus and retrospective on Mongolia.

The festival includes an exciting selection of features, documentaries and shorts, including two European premieres, eight UK premieres and one London premiere, alongside a showcase of classic films. Asia House is also excited to announce this year’s festival venues: Ham Yard Theatre, Rich Mix, The Horse Hospital and the Cinema Museum.